Carry On Dancing
by Kitsune no Miko
Summary: For you Zel/Lina fans, here's a songfic for you! Based on "Carry On Dancing" by Savage Garden. To those who have read "Gunning Down Romance" as well, PLEASE READ and LOOK at the author's notes at the beginning of this fic. Arigatou!


Carry On Dancing ~ a Slayers songfic (Zelgadis/Lina)

Carry On Dancing ~ a Slayers songfic (Zelgadis/Lina)

Author's notes: OK, this is a Z/L songfic to go along with the earlier Slayers songfics I wrote; however, the one I shall write a sequel to is left to you, the readers. So, along with a review (in the review space) please tell me if I should do a Xellos/Lina sequel songfic (a sequel to "Gunning Down Romance"), or a Zelgadis/Lina sequel to this one. Thank you!

~~~

_The moonlight…_

_Shines down interstellar beams_

_And the groove tonight _

_Is something more than you've ever seen_

_ _

They were all at the New Year's Ball at Seiryuun. Amelia had managed to convince even thickheaded Gourry that going to such a party would be a fun way to get together and start the new year – of course, with her usual rambling about eternal friendship and justice in the letters, no one could escape the idea.

Even Zelgadis, who was content to stay in the shadows by the wall of the ballroom. He was more self-conscious than usual; not only that he was in a tux, but that he was a _chimera_ in a tux. It was certainly not the first time that fact rose up to punch him in the gut, and facts didn't care if the one they hit had rocky skin that would hurt the puncher- 

It hurt the same.

Everyone else was having a wonderful time. Dancing, laughing, chatting with friends old and new. On impulse, he looked for Lina – he expected her to be dancing with Gourry, trying not to Dragon Slave him for stepping on her feet. But the ruby-haired one escaped his sight, and the blond was dancing with Amelia instead. (Evidently, Amelia had gotten tired of being forced to dance with nobles.) 

A sudden sensation – 

A familiar voice – 

"Looking for me, Zel-kun? How sweet of you!" Lina swooshed into his view, a smile on her face, and it was then that he realized what had happened. He raised a hand, unbelievingly, to the slightly cooler spot on his neck – 

Lina's smile grew wider. "Yes, I did kiss you, if that's what you're wondering."

"Lina- but…" The words stumbled and tripped over the mixture of hope and self-consciousness in his heart. "I thought – that you and Gourry…"

"No." She laughed quietly. "Gourry's great as a protector, but… I can't talk to him. I'm surprised, Zel-kun, that you haven't figured it out…"

"You… love me?" He would've easily expected such a thing from Amelia. That girl had a crush on him, and he knew it, but he wasn't the one he was interested in at all. He would've told Lina earlier, but his own sunk heart and the presence of Gourry kept him from doing so. "Is that it?"

"Yes. That's exactly it – I should've told you earlier, much earlier. But you kept going off on your own, every time I got the nerve to ask." A small pink shade came over her cheeks. 

_ _

_The stars and planets taking shape   
A stolen kiss has come too late   
In the moonlight _

_ _

"I'm sorry." Zelgadis forced his voice to sound normal. "I… love you too, Lina."

"Yay!" The serious expression the sorceress had worn a second earlier was replaced with a cheerful one. "Ne, Zel-kun, dance a little with me! Come on… get away from those shadows, you look too good to blend in…."

Zelgadis felt a blush coming on, and a little rational voice in the back of his mind wondered if chimeras COULD blush. "Um… all right…"

_  
Carry on, keep romancing   
Carry on, carry on dancing _

_In the moonlight   
Carry on, keep romancing   
Carry on, carry on dancing _

_ _

"You dance well."

"I don't want to step on your foot and have you Dragon Slave the ballroom into smithereens."

Lina giggled. "You have a good sense of humor, when you use it. You know, Zel-kun, I think I've figured out why you don't smile often!"

"I've got good reason not to be an optimist – " he started, but the sparkle in Lina's ruby eyes told him not to finish his answer. 

She leaned in conspiratorally – he knew his heartbeat was quickening. She was so close, he could tell she used a tea-scented perfume. He liked that scent. "…it must hurt to smile, being a chimera and all… if I had to move all that rock just to laugh, I would only save my laughter for something very, very funny." 

Despite the obvious pointing-out of his condition, he smiled. And laughed.

_You're never safe 'till you see the dawn   
And the clock strikes past midnight   
The hope is gone   
To move under...  
The moonlight   
Carry on, keep romancing   
Carry on, carry on dancing   
In the moonlight   
Carry on, keep romancing   
Carry on, carry on dancing   
Move. Closer. Passion. Stronger _

_ _

"Mr. Zelgadis…" Amelia heard the laughter, and just from the slight strain of it, could tell it was from someone not used to laughing much. Her eyes misted. 

"What about Zelgadis?" Gourry looked, and stepped accidentally on her left foot, but Amelia didn't seem to register the pain. "Oh. He looks like he's having a good time."

To the blond's surprise, Amelia only sniffled and smiled weakly.

"I never got him to laugh. Not like that."

"It'll be all right, Amelia. Didn't you say we were all friends forever, once?"

Gourry had hit upon one of his rare moments of wisdom. Amelia brightened and continued dancing, certain that Friendship and Justice would never fail. Mr. Zelgadis was happy with Lina, and if they were happy together, it was a duty of a true friend to leave them be.

_  
There's a magic only two can tell   
In the dark night   
Ultra Violet is a wicked spell   
The stars and planets taking shape   
A stolen kiss has come too late   
In the moonlight   
Carry on, keep romancing   
Carry on, carry on dancing _

_ _

The song ended, and Zelgadis felt more free than he'd felt in years. He was with his friends- the load of bitterness he had carried around, covered with ice and stubborn pride, had diminished over the years until he was at this point. At this party. With people he cared about and a woman he loved.

"It's going to be a great year, Zel-kun!" Lina laughed. "I think, for my next big adventure, I'll help you find your cure… what do you say?"

"Big adventures have a way of finding you, Lina." He shrugged. "You're the first person that's accepted me. You don't consider me your little sideshow freak."

"Are you saying you're not going after a cure? But you've been searching for it for so long!"

He smiled at that. "If it's your next big adventure, then I have to come with you, don't I?"

They both laughed as fireworks signaled the end of the old year and the start of the new one. And the start of another adventure.

_  
In the moonlight   
Carry on, keep romancing   
Carry on, carry on dancing   
Moving on...  
Moving all night_


End file.
